As a result of efforts to reduce pollutant emissions from internal combustion engines, measures have been taken through which an internal combustion engine has low pollutant emissions at high efficiency. The high efficiency with low pollutant emissions can for example be achieved by a metering of fuel for a combustion process in the internal combustion engine being designed in an especially advantageous manner. For example by metering the fuel under high pressure, at pressures of up to 200 bar for diesel engines for example, a combustion process can run more effectively in the internal combustion engine, so that the high efficiency with low pollutant emissions is achieved.
The pollutant emissions can also be reduced by exhaust gas aftertreatment. For example, to reduce nitric oxide emissions, urea can be metered into the exhaust of the internal combustion engine. A quality of exhaust gas aftertreatment by means of the urea depends on a quality of the metering of the urea.